Bodybuilder is one of the first to enter Bristol hunk competition

A BODYBUILDER who used to fake sick letters from his mum to avoid school PE lessons is among the first entrants in a new competition to find the Bristol Hunk.

James Grealish, who is now a competitive bodybuilder, struggled with his weight as a teenager and rather than attend PE lessons at Ashton Park School used to forge letters from his mum saying he was sick.

But the telesales manager from Southville soon got himself into shape after discovering a love of weight training and now, at the age of 26, is a competitive bodybuilder and wannabe model.

James, who has been bodybuilding for a year, has been training hard over the last few months to take part in the National Amateur Bodybuilding Association West Britain competition in Exeter this month.

He does an hour of cardio vascular training and two hours of weight training six days a week to maintain his physique.

He also keeps to a strict diet when preparing for competitions – such as protein-rich foods such as chicken, turkey and fish.

At the competition James will have to perform a number of mandatory poses infront of a panel of judges who will mark him on his physique.

James, who is also training to be a personal trainer, decided to enter the Bristol Hunk competition after being photographed by a former paparazzi snapper.

The competition is being run by Bristol Shopping Quarter in partnership with the Bristol Post to find the hunkiest fella in the city.

James said: "I was contacted by a former paparazzi photographer who wanted to take some pictures of me.

"I put them on the internet and they got a good response from people who liked my look.

"Ideally I want to be able to make a living out of how I look, whether it is from modelling, personal training or bodybuilding.

"I thought now would be a good time to enter a competition like this to give me some experience and perhaps raise my profile."

James's girlfriend Sarah, 31, who he has been dating for five years, is supportive of her boyfriend's career aspirations.

James, who has two pug dogs Vito and Frankie, added: "Sarah is supportive of what I do although she is still getting used to me taking my clothes off in front of the camera."

● Bristol Shopping Quarter has teamed up with the Bristol Post to launch a competition to find the Bristol Hunk.

Any man over the age of 18 can enter and be in with a chance of winning £1,000, a professional photoshoot with Mustard Models and become the face of Bristol Shopping Quarter.

Entrants need to complete the online entry form and send a high resolution picture of themselves from the waist upwards by May 1.

All entrants will be featured in a supplement online on May 2 and voting will then take place until May 8.

The top 10 hunks with the most votes will be showcased to a panel of judges from Mustard Models and Bristol News and Media who will decide who will take the title of Bristol Hunk 2013.